Method of and apparatus for setting pouring nozzles in ladles



Jan. 5 1926.

M. sAUNDERs METHOD oF AND APPARATUS Fon SETTING POURING NozzLEs 1N LADLEs Filed May 1e, 1925 w W m 9J M 4/J A Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,568,246 PATENT OFFICE.

MALCOLM SAUNDERS, F CANTON, OHIO;

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS-FOR SETTING TOURING- NOZZLES IN LADLES.

f Application med nay 1s, 1g25. serial NB. 30,700.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, MALCOLM SAUNDERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county 01:' Stark and State oi Ohio, have invented a bertain new and-useful Improved Method of and Apparatus for Setting Pouring'Nozzles in Ladles, of

which thevollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to pouring nozzles l0 for ladles such as are used for receiving a heat of steel from an open hearthbr electric furnace and pouringthe same into inlgot molds, and more particularly to means for properly aligning the pouring nozzle l5 when it is placed in the ladle.

l0 a stopper Ladles of this character ordinarily haveli 'about a hundred ton capacity and are lined with lire brick and provided with a fire clay pouring nozzle normally closed by means of the molten steel being received 'in 4the ladle from the furnace and poured through the nozzle into-the ingot molds by operating the stopper rod to open the pourmg nozz 55 mold and to close the same to immediately cut oil the stream of molten metal when the ladle is moved to the next mold.

Owing to the great amount of molten metal poured' through the pouring nozzle, it-

50 is necessary to replace the same after each heat is poured. It is necessary and desirable, in order that the best results ma be obtained, in pouring the steel from t e yladle `into the in ot mold, that this nozzle be aligned abso utely vertical, in order to causer the stream'of molten steel to pour straight down upon the bottom of the ingot mold, in'

the center of the mold, as when the nozzles are placed out of alignment, which veryfrequently happens in ordina practice the molten steel strikes thev si ewalls of7 the molds, causing the ingotto stick in the mold and preventing stripping of the same from the mold, and burning out the sidewall of the mold, making it necessary to 'scrap the same.

These nozzles are mounted in an opening Y in the bottom of the pouringladle and the lire brick `lining thereof, being cemented therein with fire clay, and in placing 4the nozzle in position with the ordinary methods now in common use, there is no positive means for properly aligning the nozzle vertically when it is installed.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for properly aligning the e when the ladle is placed over a pouring nozzle, absolutely vertical in the ladle, in order to cause the stream of molten steel to pour straight down'from the ladle upon the bottom of the ingot mold, thus preventing the molten metal from striking thesides of the Imolds and eliminating the objections above described. f

The invention may be carried outwith the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1, is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of a ladle showing the improved device in position during the operation of installing a pouring nozzle in the ladle;

Fig. 2, an enlarged sectional view of the lower portion of the device showing the .same inuse in installing a nozzle in the ladle, and

Fi 3, a detached perspective view of the spin le of the tool andf the associate parts removed therefrom.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the draw- The ladle indicated generally at l is lined throughout with fire brick 2 and rovided with the :usual stopper rod 3 slida le in a housin 4. and arranged to be raised and lowere by the handle 5, the usual fork 6 being carried at'the upper end of the rod *.,for connection to the stopper, not shown,

opening, 12, of greater diameter than the outlet opening 8, is provided in the fire brick lini atk the bottom of the ladle, and

aligned wit the outlet opening, the pouring 100 nozzle 7, which is of fire brick, being received therein and cemented by means of fire clay 13, the reduced spout 14 of said nozzle extending through the opening of the retaining plate, and the shoulder 15 thereof resti-g upon the retaining plate.

The above 1s common construction, such as is ordinarily used in ladles, and the present invenion consists in the means for aligning this pouring nozzle vertically when v Yet erably provided'with the tapered lower end 17 and having a flange shoulder 18 near its upper end, to theuiider side of which are connected several Washers 19 of leather or similar material retained thereon by means of the hollow metal disc 20 and the carriage bolts 2l. i

A tubular handle 22, of considerable length, receives the reduced upper end 23 of the spindle and is permanently attached l thereto as by a rivet 24'.V

rlhe central bore ofthe spindle is slioulkdered as at 25 and may act as a stop Vfor the block 26 which is fovided With the slotted upper end 27 to receive the eye 28 ofY a Wire 29 which is retained as by the pin 30.

rlhis Wire may be connected at its upper end to a coil spring 31, to the upper end of which is connected a rope or other ilexibleinember V32, provided at its upper end Witha stop, such as the knot 33,'which is normally held against the upper end of the tubular handle by means of the tension upon the spring 31.

ln placing the nozzle in the ladle the lower end of the opening 12 is first filled to a depth of twp or three inches With soft fire clay, and the nozzle is then placed upon the same in upright position. The spindle 16 of the above described tool is then inserted intothe upper end of the nozzle and the tool is held in upright position by placing the tubular handle of the same in the fork (i. The rope 32 may be pulled upward and.

the stop 33 thereon'engaged with the key 34 upon the pouring rod in order to holdVY the handle against the fork.

'The handle is then released permitting the tool to drop vertically, the spindle passing down through the central bore of the nozzle and the leather Washers 19 engaging the upper end of the nozzle, depressing the same in the soft clay, to substantially the position best shown in Fig. 2, squeezing the clay entirely around the openings 8 and 10, as shown at 35,

A same vertically. l

`The fire clay is then tamped around the nozzle, Within the opening 12, the Washers `19 protecting the upper end of the I iozzle from damage by the tamping tool. This fire clay is filled in around the nozzle to substantially the point indicated bythe dot and dash line 36 in Fig. 2, thus forming a well-in the bottoni of the ladle terminating in the enlarged'opening 36 at the upper end of the pouring nozzle.

The tool is then removed, and when the clay is dry the stopper may be placed in position in the usual manner, and the noz/- zle is ready for pouring a heat of steel, and' as Wili be seen from the above description,

thus eiiectua'lly sealing the4 nozzle Within the opening and aligning the ladle, causing the streain of molten steel jections above pointed out, and it has been 'Y found by experience that the steel poured in this manner Veliminates a considerable amount of the pipe ordinarily formed in the upper end of an ingot mold.

Y l claim:

1. The method of setting a pouring nozzle in a ladle which consists in placing a spindle through the nozzle, in a'vertical position, and packing plastic material around the nozzle While said spindle is in place.

2. The method ofsetting a pouring nozzle in a ladle which consists in placing plastic material inthe outlet opening ol' the ladle, placing a shouldered spindle through the nozzle and lowering the saine upon said plasticV material, packing more plastic material around the nozzle and liolding said spindle in vertical position during said packing operation.

3. A tool for setting pouring nozzles in ladles, comprising a spindle arranged to be located through the pouring nozzle and held in vertical position While plastic material is packed around the nozzle.

4. A tool for setting pouring nozzles in ladles, comprising a spindle arranged to be located through the pouring nozzle and Ymeans Vfor holding the spindle` in vertical 7. tool Jfor setting pouring nozzles in ladles, comprising a spindle arranged to be located through the pouring nozzle, and a resilient shoulder upon the spindle for engagement with the upper end of the nozzle.

8. A tool for setting pouring nozzles in ladles, comprising a spindle arranged to be located through the pouring nozzle, a i'esilient shoulder upon the spindle for engagement with the upper end of the nozzle, and means for holding the spindle in vertical position while plastic material is packed around the nozzle.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

MALCQLM lSAUNDERS 

